Orthopedic device



Filed Jan. 5, 1926 ffii mvsmon Lbemhauer '7 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES LOUIS BEINHAUERI, F

BROOKLYN, NEVJ YORK.

ORTHOPEDIC DEVICE.

Application filed January The main object of this invention is to provide a type of truss for correcting such deformities as knock-knee or bowlegs. The truss consists of interchangeable girdles which are adjustably fixed on a staff and may have their relative positions inter changed so that the girdles may be used between the knees when a patient is knockkneed or bowlegged.

Another object is to provide an orthopedic truss having an interchangeable knee girdle which may have its dimensions varied by an adjustment to suit different degrees of deformity.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawing. 7

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 indicates an application of the truss in remedying the deformity of bowleggedness.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the truss.

Figure 3 is a partially sectioned top plan view of the knee girdle, showing the method of adjusting the same.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the ankle girdle.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral indicates the legs of a person. These legs are afliicted with a bowleg deformity in which the knees are spread apart and at abnormal distance from each other. To remedy this bowlegged or knock-kneed condition, a truss is provided. This truss consists of a staff 11 which extends from the floor to a position below the buttocks. At the upper end of the staff, a belt 12 is fixed. This belt is provided with a buckle 13 for forming an endless loo around the body at the thighs. A pair 0' pads 14 and 15 are mounted one on each side on the strap 12 and lie between the strap and body to pro tect the latter from injury and bruises. Intermediate the staff, an adjustable girdle is mounted. This adjustable girdle comprises a pair of gently curved plates 16 and 17 which have their ends formed into semi-circular outline and are adapted to rest on the outer surface of the knees. The curved plates are provided with felt pads 18 and have openings at their ends. The plate 17 has a pair of rods 19 and 20 which are pro vided with bald heads releasably fixed thereto, the heads being engaged in slots or similar other construction so that the looped 5, 1926. Serial No. 79,288.

ends 21 of the plates retain the bald heads in position in the slots when the rods are being pulled away from the plate. The rods slip into tubes 22 and 23, said tubes being secured to the ends of the plate 16. Threaded holes are provided in the rods 19 and 20 and are adapted to receive threaded studs 24 which pass entirely thru the tubes 22. and 23 and project from the ends of the plate 16 and are engaged by nuts 25. Between the ends of the plate 16 and the nuts 25, springs 26 are coiled about the studs .24 and are adapted to yieldably urge the plate 16 toward the plate 17. A tubular bracket 27 is mounted on the tube 22 and is provided with a square shell 28 in which the cross section of the staff is received.

Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of the knee press. This part of the apparatus uses a bracket 29 which is provided with a square sleeve 30 for receiving the cross section of the staif 11 and serves as a mount for a double-ended stud having a knurled flange 3O integral with the stud intermediate its length and a right hand thread 31 at one end of the stud, and a left hand thread 32 at the opposite end. These threaded ends 31 and 32 engage in sleeves 34 of curved plates 35 which have felt pads 36 on their outer surfaces.

This truss is, as has been previously stated, used to remedy bowleg and knockknee. These two conditions are common to a great number of people and are generally caused in infancy by overstraining the muscles and ligaments of the legs thru causing the legs to carry a greater load than can be supported. In this manner, the ligaments of the legs are stretched on one side and contracted on the opposite side of the leg. In bowleg, the ligaments and muscles contract on the inside of the leg at the knee, thigh, and ankle, and are extended on the outside of the leg at the corresponding positions. This truss is designed to stretch these ligaments at the positions where they are abnormally contracted. The .harness of the truss is secured in place around the legs of the patient by placing the staff 11. on the floor behind and between the legs. The belt 12 is strapped around the thighs after the pads 14 and 15 have been positioned on opposite sides of the body, as illustrated in Figure 1. During the treatment, this belt is not disturbed or adjusted. lVhen the person' has bowlegs, the girdle illustrated in Figure 3'is secured at a position intermediate the length of the staff so that this girdle encompasses the knees. The ankle brace, illustrated in Figure 4:, is mounted on the stafl' 11 at the lower end and is placed be tween the ankles of the legs 10. When the bones forming the upper leg are in normal position, the girdle illustrated in Figure 3 is not adjusted. If this be the condition and the person is bowlegged, the ankle brace requires adjustment in order to separate these ankles by a space. This is accon'iplished by rotating the knurled member which spreads the curved plates apart and likewise spreads the ankles apart so that the ligaments on the inside of the legs between the thigh and ankles are extended while the outer muscles and ligaments contract. It the knees are out of line of normal posture, the knurled heads 25 mounted on the studs 24 are screwed down. These knurled heads being integral with the studs 241-, rotate the latter, causing them to lit into or be extended out of the rods 19 and in this manner cause an adjustment or the distance between the plates 16 and 17, which adjustment is adapted to bend the legs at the knee joint and correct the bowlegged condition. When the deformity of knock-knee exists, the positions of the girdle and ankle braces are interchanged, that is, the ankle brace is placed between the knees, and the girdle illustrated in Figure 3, is placed around the ankles. Adjustment is made on the ankle plates which are now placed between the curved to conform to the curvature of the knees, tubes mounted on one plate, bars i mounted on the opposite plate, said bars bej ing slidable in the tubes, a threaded stud? loosely mounted in one of said plates passing thru the tubes and engaging tl e rods. brackets mounted on one of said tubes, a square sleeve on said bracket adaptcd to slidably mount on said stall", and an ankle 5 brace adapted to spread the ankles compris .ing oppositely curved plates, sleeves extend ing from said plates toward each other having right and left hand threads formed therein, a stud having a right and left hand thread at opposing ends, and a flange rigid with said stud for rotating the latter, said stud when rotated being adapted to (lGCI'Qi se or increase the distance between said curved plates.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

LOU IS BEINHAUEl-t. 

